Buddleja plant named ‘Pink Pagoda’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Buddleja  plant named ‘Pink Pagoda’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; continuous flowering habit; long narrowly conical inflorescences with numerous pink-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Buddleja weyeriana×Buddleja davidii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PINK PAGODA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Buddleja plant, botanically known as Buddleja weyeriana×Buddleja davidii and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Pink Pagoda’.

The new Buddleja plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Longstock, Stockbridge, United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program was to create new Buddleja plants with continuous flowering and attractive flower coloration.

The new Buddleja plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in 1994 in Longstock, Stockbridge, United Kingdom, of Buddleja weyeriana ‘Sungold’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Buddleja davidii ‘Pink Delight’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Buddleja plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Longstock, Stockbridge, United Kingdom in 1997.

Asexual reproduction of the new Buddleja plant by softwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Longstock, Stockbridge, United Kingdom since 1997 has shown that the unique features of this new Buddleja plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Buddleja have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Pink Pagoda’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pink Pagoda’ as a new and distinct Buddleja plant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Continuous flowering habit.     -   3. Long narrowly conical inflorescences with numerous         pink-colored flowers.     -   4. Good garden performance.     -   5. Flowers do not produce pollen or seeds.

Plants of the new Buddleja differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘Sungold’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Buddleja have conical inflorescences         whereas plants of ‘Sungold’ have globose inflorescences.     -   2. Plants of the new Buddleja and ‘Sungold’ differ in flower         color as plants of ‘Sungold’ have orange yellow-colored flowers.     -   3. Plants of the new Buddleja do not produce seeds whereas         plants of ‘Sungold’ produce seeds.

Plants of the new Buddleja differ primarily from plants of the male parent, ‘Pink Delight’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Buddleja and ‘Pink Delight’ differ in         flower color as plants of ‘Pink Delight’ have bright         pink-colored flowers.     -   2. Plants of the new Buddleja do not produce seeds whereas         plants of ‘Pink Delight’ produce seeds.

Plants of the new Buddleja can be compared to plants of Buddleja davidii ‘Orchid Beauty’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Buddleja and ‘Orchid Beauty’ differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Buddleja and ‘Orchid Beauty’ differed in         flower color as plants of ‘Orchid Beauty’ had lavender-colored         flowers.     -   2. Plants of the new Buddleja did not produce seeds whereas         plants of ‘Orchid Beauty’ produce seeds.

Plants of the new Buddleja can also be compared to plants of Buddleja weyeriana ‘Honeycomb’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Buddleja and ‘Honeycomb’ differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Buddleja were more uniform in plant shape         than plants of ‘Honeycomb’.     -   2. Plants of the new Buddleja and ‘Honeycomb’ differed in flower         color as plants of ‘Honeycomb’ had yellow-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Buddleja plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Buddleja plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pink Pagoda’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Pink Pagoda’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer and early autumn in ground beds in an outdoor nursery in Grand Haven, Mich. and under commercial practice. Plants were pinched one time eight months apart and were 2.5 years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Buddleja hybrid ‘Pink Pagoda’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Buddleja weyeriana ‘Sungold’, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Buddleja davidii ‘Pink Delight’,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots plant, summer.—About 10 days at 24°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About two months at             24° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/habit.—Deciduous perennial shrub; upright,             outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; very broad             inverted triangle; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 1 meter.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 1.6 meters.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity: About 89 lateral branches             develop per plant. Length: About 42 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Internode length: About 6 cm. Strength: Moderately             strong to strong. Aspect: Erect to about 45° from vertical.             Texture, developing stems: Slightly pubescent. Texture,             mature stems: Smooth, glabrous. Color, developing: Close to             144B. Color, mature: Close to 166B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 16 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute to acuminate.         -   Base.—Cuneate to attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrulate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 141B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 190B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A; venation,             close to 144A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 191A; venation, close to 137A.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single salverform flowers             arranged on terminal panicles; flowers face upright and             outwardly; panicles long and narrowly conical in shape;             freely flowering habit with about 335 flowers per             inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—Fragrant; sweet, pleasant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             August to October in Michigan.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about seven to ten             days on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Shape: Oblong. Color: Close to 146B.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 24 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5.5 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 7 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1.1 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically four in a single             whorl; petals fused into a narrow tube. Lobe length: About             3 mm. Lobe width: About 4 mm. Shape: Roughly reniform. Apex:             Broadly obtuse. Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing petals,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 74C. Fully expanded             petals, upper surface: Close to 75C; venation, close to 75C;             color becoming closer to 75B with development. Fully             expanded petals, lower surface: Close to 74C venation, close             to 74C. Throat: Close to 25A; venation, close to 25A. Tube:             Close to 74C; venation, close to 74C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically four in a single             whorl, fused towards the base into a short tube. Length:             About 1 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             191A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Angle: About 45° from the stem axis.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 191B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Angle: Erect to about 30° from the             peduncle axis. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             191B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             four. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther size: About 0.5 mm by             1.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 166A. Pollen amount: None             observed. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:             About 2 mm. Stigma shape: Oblong. Stigma color: Close to             197A. Style length: About 1.7 mm. Style color: Close to             157B. Ovary color: Close to 142B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Buddleja have been not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Buddleja plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Buddleja have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about −25° C. to about 33° C. 

1. A new and distinct Buddleja plant named ‘Pink Pagoda’ as illustrated and described. 